China is currently overseeing the largest migration of people in the history of mankind, and the challenges that such a process presents are astounding. However, issues related to urbanization are not isolated issues; they impact greatly upon other areas of society. Similarly, other challenges that the country is facing, such as its ageing population, food security and food safety and environmental protection all have an impact or are influenced by the country’s ongoing urbanization process. This issue of MESSENGER seeks to explore some of the key issues related to China’s urbanization drive whilst at the same time highlighting the importance of other societal issues in the context of such huge human migration.